Entertainment Blogs

No change this week across the top of the charts as much of Billboard Hot 100 seemed to take a spring break. So, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars make it a perfect dozen weeks at number one. See their hit video below and find out which tracks were number one this week back in 2007, 1997, 1987 and 1977.

Las week it looked like Maroon 5's "Sugar" might finally knock "Uptown Funk" from its now 12-week run on top of the charts. But, all of the Hot 100's top seven tracks stayed in the same slots this week. The Southern California rock group will have to wait another week to see if they can overcome Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars. Check back here to find out who comes out on top. | March 30, 2015»Read Full Blog Post

Slim Jim Phantom's Rockabilly Circus - rolling into the Northern Lights Theater at Potawatomi Hotel and Casino tonight at 8 - is a full cavalcade of rock and rhythm and blues with a lineup that features the Stray Cats drummer along with Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers, Deke Dickerson and Kim Lenz. But it is the woman at the top of the bill who brings the most excitement to town.

Few people can claim the rock 'n' roll cred that Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rockabilly, carries. A 2009 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Watch Rosanne Cash's terrific induction speech for her here), Wanda Jackson is a true pioneer of the genre. With a ferocity that couldn't be contained, Jackson bounded from her Oklahoma high school to soon find herself performing with the likes of Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins as she worked her way through country sounds, rockabilly vibes and Gospel soul.

She found international fame with "Fujiyama Mama" and watched her own hits like "Let's Have a Party" gain success here in the United States. Her now 60 year career continues to thrive as her 2009 album, "The Party Ain't Over," produced by Jack White, and her 2012 disc, "Unfinished Business," each climbed the country charts. | March 27, 2015»Read Full Blog Post

The country's "Uptown Funk" fever still hasn't subsided as Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars retain their chart-topping prowess on the Billboard Hot 100. Find out which pop group is challenging their spot below and then step back to days gone by to see the songs that were number one this week back in 2006, 1996, 1986 and 1976.

Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars are likely getting used to their spot on the top of the Hot 100 chart, as "Uptown Funk" spends its 11th consecutive week in the number one spot. But, there is some rumbling from below this week as Maroon 5's "Sugar" leapfrogs over Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" for the number two spot. Find out next week if the So Cal rockers can unseat our reigning pop kings. | March 23, 2015»Read Full Blog Post

When Vince Gill and Ashley Monroe arrive in Milwaukee for Sunday night's show at the Milwaukee Theater, the pair will be far from strangers. (Read Piet Levy's interview with Vince Gill here.) The guitar king and former Pistol Annie have been working together for years - most notably when Gill produced Monroe's stunning 2013 album, "Like a Rose."

One song that fans at the show are likely to hear is the title track to Monroe's disc. Watch an early performance of that devastatingly beautiful song performed by Monroe and Gill together at the Grand Ole Opry two years ago.

It's still early in the year, but it would be a safe bet that Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars could likely end the year with the year's biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Watch the pair's big hit below and travel back in time to see which songs were the biggest this week back in 2005, 1995, 1985 and 1975.

With their 10th week on top of the charts, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" now has as long of a reign at number one as last year's biggest hit, Pharrell Williams' "Happy." All of the top five stayed the same this week, including Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" at number two, and no one seems to be able to overcome our chart-topping duo. Check back next week to see if the streak can roll on. | March 16, 2015»Read Full Blog Post

Miranda Lambert's 2014 album, "Platinum," has already snagged the star a Grammy and Country Music Award and its first couple of singles - the nostalgic "Automatic" and the Carrie Underwood duet "Somethin' Bad" - brought her to the top five on the radio charts.

Now, her newly released music video for the disc's third single, "Little Red Wagon," reveals the playful spite that has made Lambert one of the fiercest voices in country music. The song also displays the diversity and creativity that permeate the disc's track list. And, as it rises into the top 20, the catchy, bouncy, flirtatious kiss-off track is a good bet to become Lambert's fifth number one hit.

Watch the new video below. If you're hoping to catch Lambert in concert, you're best upcoming chance is to make your way to Oshkosh's Country USA festival June 23. That is her only current Wisconsin tour date.

ZAC BROWN BANDSingle: “Heavy is the Head”Gut reaction: Heavy, indeed. Following the sweet, country-radio-ready “Homegrown,” Zac Brown Band goes grunge with a little help from Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell. This one definitely won’t be a country radio hit, but its reassuring to know that the band’s adventurous, anything goes spirit is still very much alive.Grade: BZac Brown Band performs June 28 at the Marcus Amphitheater for Summerfest.

Nothing seems to be able to stop Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' reign on top of the Billboard Hot 100. See the video for the big hit song that continues to rule the chart and then find out which songs were on top thi week in 2004, 1994, 1984 and 1974.

No. 1 hit March 9, 2015Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars "Uptown Funk"

This marks the ninth week that Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' bouncy hit has ruled the top of the Hot 100. That is just one week shy of last year's longest run of 10 weeks by Pharrell Williams' "Happy." If Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" stays at number two next week and none of the other rising tracks can leapfrog to number one, it will take a pretty big hit have a bigger impact on the chart in 2015 than this duo's early smash. | March 9, 2015»Read Full Blog Post

There is no better medium for experiencing the blues than live and in concert. And that is what Lil' Ed Williams and the Blues Imperials have been doing on a regular basis in their home base of Chicago and around the world since the 1970s. Taking the best of the Windy City's blues traditions and incorporating the swampy grind of the south along with the soul of classic R&B, Williams and his three fellow Blues Imperials are a fine example of the cohesive power that the genre can propel off of a small club stage or a huge festival venue. And, they've won two Blues Music Awards for Band of the Year along the way.

Saturday night, Milwaukee fans will have a chance to see the band's live blues experience at an 8 p.m. show at Shank Hall. (Tickets are still available for purchase online.) As a preview, here's a fine example of what Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials can do on stage. Filmed at the 2011 Rawa Blues Festival in Katowice, Poland, this more than 10-minute take on "Nobody's Fault But My Own" is a smoldering track with plenty of Williams' excellent slide guitar over a thumping, smoky backing groove.

KANYE WESTSingle:“All Day”Gut reaction: For anyone disinterested in the softer sides of Kanye we’ve seen recently with “Only One” and “FourFiveSeconds,” “All Day” is the aggressive banger you’ve been clamoring for. But compared to the harder tracks on “Yeezus” and “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” “Day” does feel a little tame.Grade: B

It's quickly turning into Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' year on top of the Billboard Hot 100 as they spend their eighth week at number one. Watch - and dance along with - their catchy hit and find out which songs were on top this week back in 2003, 1993, 1983 and 1973.

Greensky Bluegrass has been travelling the roads from their native Michigan across the United States for 15 years now, building a grassroots following for their progressive bluegrass stringband music, That never-ending tour brings them to the Pabst Theater for a headlining show tonight at the Pabst Theater. (Doors open at 7. Tickets are available online here.)

Tonight's visit is a good opportunity to dig into the deep collection of free audience-taped shows at the Live Music Archive to uncover a gem from one of their past visits to Wisconsin. Four years ago, the tight quintet visited Milwaukee's Miramar Theatre for another cold February show. Listen in the embedded player below to a sharp recording of that concert from Feb. 6, 2010, which featured a mix of originals and lively Beatles, John Prine and Grateful Dead covers. (Click here to download the full set.) And, dig into the band's full collection of shows online here.

RIHANNASingle: “Towards the Sun”Gut reaction: Some overzealous marketing director at Dreamworks thought it would be a good idea to rip-off the Lorde-curated “Hunger Games” soundtrack concept by recruiting Rihanna to curate a soundtrack for the animated “Home,” out March 27. Rihanna plays the protagonist, so her involvement isn’t totally off base, but there’s no way kids are gonna wanna hear “Sun,” despite RiRi’s impressive high notes, over “Let It Go” for the gazillionth time.Grade: C+ Stream the song at Complex.

ZEDD WITH SELENA GOMEZSingle: “I Want You to Know”Gut reaction: The creativity of EDM producer Zedd’s “Clarity” now seems like a fluke. But while every note in “Know” is predictable, its still a glittering club jam, and the smooth vocals supplied by Zedd’s rumored girlfriend Selena Gomez are a good fit.Grade: B- | Feb. 25, 2015»Read Full Blog Post

Nothing can stop "Uptown Funk" - not even high-profile Grammy performances by its challengers. Watch the video for the big Billboard Hot 100 chart topper and then see which songs were at number one this week in 2002, 1992, 1982 and 1972.

It's been a heck of a couple years for Kacey Musgraves. After releasing her spectacular 2013 major label debut album, "Same Trailer, Different Park," the Texas native has led a generation of female singer-songwriters who are consistently making the most creative and genuine music in Nashville today. The disc snagged her two Grammy Awards along with trophies from both the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association, and songs like "Merry Go Round" and "Follow Your Arrow" brought her throwback country sound and progressive lyrics to country radio and TV networks.

So, how does a country star who has garnered so many accolades in such a short time period find new thrills? How about pairing up with John Prine aboard a Caribbean cruise ship? The young star met up with the songwriting legend aboard the 2015 Cayamo Cruise in late January and a fan captured a couple of their performances for us all to enjoy. | Feb. 20, 2015»Read Full Blog Post

"Uptown Funk" just keeps rolling on a the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and there seems to be no stopping Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' streak. See the song's hit video below and the step back in time to see which songs were on top of the charts this week in 2001, 1991, 1981 and 1971.

When J.D. McPherson released his 2012 debut, "Signs and Signifiers," it seemed like a real novelty - and it was, in the absolute best sense of the word. Made entirely with analog equipment, McPherson channeled the soul and groove of the earliest days of rock 'n' roll more than a half century after it was born.

On his follow-up disc, "Let the Good Times Roll," McPherson reveals that his approach is so much more than simply novel. Case in point - the album's closer, "Everybody's Talking Bout The All American" is all at once a spirited fight song, rockabilly thumper and raging sock-hop anthem braced on the shoulders of McPherson's snarling growl. The result - like the rest of the disc, from the jumping rave up title track to the resonant, sweetly sung ballad, "Bridgebuilder," is classically timeless, instantly familiar and undeniably cool. | Feb. 12, 2015»Read Full Blog Post

We'll have to wait another year to see if Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars will capture any Grammy gold for their collaborative hit single, but for now they are just raking in the weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Watch the video for their hit single below and then let's reset our decades to see the songs that were the biggest this week back in 2000, 1990, 1980 and 1970.

No. 1 hit Feb. 9, 2015Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars "Uptown Funk"

There's no change this week on the top of the Hot 100, with Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars capturing their fifth week at number one. But, will the Grammys have an effect on their challengers? Both Ed Sheeran and Hozier had big performances on the award show Sunday night. So check back next week to see if it is "Uptown Funk," celebrate their fourth week at number one, they continue to fend off challenges from Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" or Hozier's "Take Me to Church" that takes the top spot. | Feb. 9, 2015»Read Full Blog Post(1)